


Zodiac Deck

by Fangirl_Shenanigans, WrestleCrazyGamer



Category: Original Work
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2018-12-13 02:37:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11750319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl_Shenanigans/pseuds/Fangirl_Shenanigans, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WrestleCrazyGamer/pseuds/WrestleCrazyGamer
Summary: -Inspired by Cardcaptor Sakura-Souta Fujima is a regular thirteen-year-old middle school student. One fateful day in his life transforms him into a Zodiac Knight... that also set all 52 of the Zodiac Cards loose on Sakura City. It is now his job as Tome Keeper to find and seal each demon back into the Zodiac Tome.





	1. Thirteen Signs, Four Cards Each

Pisces… Sagittarius… Aries… Gemini… Cancer… Libra… Leo… Scorpio… Taurus… Virgo… Capricorn… Aquarius… and Serpentarius. These are the Thirteen Signs of the Zodiac. In four of each sign are beings of great power locked away. With a great tome as their prison were they hidden away where those who sought their power would never find them. Many years passed since the original Zodiac Knights disbanded after hiding the book. It is now present day…

“Souta, you’re going to be late!” a woman with long black hair called.

Now waking up at the sound of her voice was a middle school boy with short black hair. This is Souta Fujima, a fourteen-year-old boy attending a middle school on the edge of Sakura City. Sakura City is thirty-five miles north of Tokyo, for reference. He’s grown up dreaming of someday working as a freelance coder, having gone to extensive lengths to learn as early as possible. It wasn’t too hard since his mother works in the computer industry.

Souta hurried to wash up and change into his uniform. His mother had made him the usual breakfast, a mushroom omelette with rice and orange juice. His mother wore her long black hair in a low ponytail, Souta inheriting the color of her hair. Her bangs crowned her face in a way that sort of resembled low-hanging horns. She had an athletic and moderately gifted figure. Her favorite things to wear were blue jeans with a white button-up shirt bearing red dragon embroidery. She was strict yet kind with Souta, resulting in her son sometimes having difficulty understanding when someone is joking or being serious.

After finishing breakfast and washing his dishes he grabbed his bag and hurried out the door. He was running a bit behind, but if he wasn’t that tardy he wouldn’t be in too much trouble. At least he hoped so…

Luckily for him, Ms. Kashima the school gardener was on duty. Anyone at school would recognize her masculine yet feminine curves and her wavy hip length dark brown hair. She had on her brown work boots, dark blue work overalls, and a short-sleeved white shirt. Of the school staff, she’s easily the most laid back and forgiving but also notably the tallest. She let him off easy with helping her weed the school gardens after classes ended. He gladly accepted that over what Mrs. Shidou would have assigned him had she been on duty. The day was slow, and his hands were sore even before he’d started weeding after classes.

“Fujima-kun, do you like to read?” Ms. Kashima asked him.

“I prefer manga honestly…” he admitted with a nervous smile.

“Ah, a picture man. I know the perfect picture book for you then. Take this…” she snickered handing him a jet black key with the symbol for Serpentarius on the end.

“A key?” he asked curiously looking it over.

“There’s a locked area in the library near your house… that key will open the door, and the lock on a special book. Don’t tell anyone I gave it to you okay?” she winked in response.

“Thanks Ms. Kashima.” he nodded and hurried off.

“The door you’re looking for has a matching symbol! You couldn’t miss it if you tried!” she called after him with a smile.

If Ms. Kashima was recommending it how bad could it be? The thought of a locked area puzzled him though. Was it an adult section or something? The thought of it only made him want to find the book even more. He wandered around the isles with his library card ready if an adult stopped him. After ten minutes of looking he finally found the door in question by the restrooms at the back of the library.

“This is it…” Souta gulped before nervously inserting the key and turning it.

The door opened with a little effort, (it was a fairly disused door) and he entered the back room. It was dimly lit and there was dust all over the books, the shelves, and the floor. He took a few steps and the door slammed behind him causing the youth to jump. To his shock there was no knob on this side! He groped around on the door trying to find a way to open it when a eerie noise made him freeze… he listened for it again…

-thump thump - thump thump - thump thump-

It sounded almost like a heartbeat. He followed the noise cautiously coming toward a shelf made of mahogany. It got louder and faster the closer he got. He wiped the dust from the nameplate and was able to make out “Forbidden” in the dim light. He listened carefully and managed to pick out the book the now rapid heartbeat was coming from. He pulled a dusty purple tome from the shelf and all of a sudden the heartbeat stopped cold…

“Is this it…?” Souta asked wiping dust off the cover.

The binding felt like silk but looked like leather. There was an odd lock on it bearing twelve zodiac signs in a circle around the keyhole. The only sign missing was that which belonged to the key. So as Ms. Kashima had instructed, he inserted the key and unlocked the book. On the first page was a paragraph addressing the reader…

“To ye who read from this tome, be forewarned, to read the name of one aloud shall impart ruin upon this material realm. The seals shall break, and the demons be freed of their prison. Ye will then be tasked with reclaiming these demons fifty-two. -Ur, Zodiac Knight” it read…

“What a weird book.” Souta scoffed turning the page.

On the very next page was what looked to be a card glued to the page. On the ribbon near the top was written “The Infernian”, and below the ribbon was the image of a horned woman wearing only a burlap gown that’d been burned to turn into a two-piece outfit. On the page next to it was a card that spooked him for a second. On the ribbon it read “Death, the Eternal” with the image of a hooded woman with large angel wings wielding a scythe.

“Death… the Eternal?” Souta read, and all at once the book began to shake uncontrollably in his hands.

The book floated in the air by itself as the pages rapidly tore themselves out. The pages then burned leaving the cards behind as they broke a hole through the roof escaping. When the whirlwind subsided only “Death the Eternal” and the ruined tome were left behind. At that moment the door was kicked open by a woman with blue hair put in a braided bun wearing a suit and glasses. She looked to be in her mid-twenties to early-thirties with a semi-petite figure. This was the librarian, who was known to be very uptight and strict about the rules of the library. Souta’s had more than one confrontation with her regarding putting books back on their proper shelf.

“IDIOT!!! Didn’t you read the first paragraph?! Don’t read anything out loud from the book!” she yelled.

“I… I… it… couldn’t have been… real…” Souta nervously choked out.

“How did you even get in here?! How did you unlock the book?!” she demanded to know.

“Key…” he choked out shakily presenting it to her.

“This key…” she growled snatching it from him examining it.

“W-What about it…?” he nervously asked.

“This is the seer’s key… that friggin’ idiot! She knew this could happen! Why on earth did she think this was a good idea?!” the librarian howled.

“Seer…?” Souta asked.

“Whatever… fine, you’re a trainee now…” she signed.

“Trainee? I still don’t even know what happened.” Souta told her.

“You released demons that’d been kept here by Zodiac Knights since the dark ages of the world.” she told him.

“Demons? REAL demons?!” he exclaimed.

“You’re a slow one, huh? There! Grab it!” she barked pointing at the card lying by his hand.

He quickly grabbed it and it began wriggling in his grip. She then tossed him a marker as he tried to keep hold of it. It really didn’t like being held…

“Mark it, anything will do, just mark it yours on the sign side!” she instructed in a panic.

Souta managed to hold on as he got the cap off the marker. He then carefully traced over the faded white symbol on the back. The black marker on the symbol then turned red as the card stopped tugging and pulling. The tome then rose from the floor as the torn remains of the spine shone brightly restoring themselves to blank pages as the card then laid itself on the back of the first page seeming to become one with the page like before.

“One out of 52 caught…” the librarian sighed shaking her head.

“So, can you start explaining things to me?” Souta asked.

She then led him to the librarian’s office locking the door behind them. After that she pulled a book from her shelf and placed it where he could see. The cover read “Principles of Zodiac Knights”. There wasn’t an author listed, just like the tome she had him bring with him.

“This has everything you need to know inside. Get reading.” she instructed him.

“I have to read it?! This thing’s 1,000 pages at least!” he exclaimed.

“It’ll be 999 once you read the first page now won’t it?” she scoffed closing the door behind her.

Souta though he was going to cry as he started reading. It was written in a boring old-timey dialect. He didn’t understand some of the words too. To him it looked like boring lectures and such. He was hating every second of this book. He wanted to go home. Books like this were his kryptonite.

Eventually he got through it, with many tears shed. He didn’t understand a single word of it other than the Zodiac Knights are the good guys. The librarian then returned to find him passed out with the book under his chin. With a sigh she retrieved the book from him trying not to disturb him.

“It’s not a pillow, stupid kid…” she quietly scolded him.

“He’s recruited, good.” Ms. Kashima giggled entering the room.

“Seer, he released the demons.” the librarian told her.

“I know. I wanted it to happen.” she giggled.

“Why?!” she asked trying to keep it down.

“The seals were weakening. You can’t tell me you haven’t been able to sense their evil…” Ms. Kashima calmly replied.

“Be that as it may… it’s still irresponsible to unleash them like that. More importantly you made a kid the Tome Keeper.” the librarian scolded her.

“Oh we can trust him. I’ve been evaluating him since I met him when the elementary students toured the middle school.” she giggled.

“I’d take that with more confidence if he were, I don’t know, a high schooler… but he’s a middle schooler.” the librarian growled.

“I already sifted through the high school, none of them even compare to his capabilities. He’s Kikyo's boy.” she giggled.

“Kikyo’s alive?!” the librarian exclaimed barely able to keep it down.

“You thought she’s been dead this whole time? Some friend you are. She retired after the Death incident, married a nice man, and this is her son before us.” Ms. Kashima smiled.

“If she was alive why didn’t you tell me?” the librarian asked.

“You never asked.” she shrugged resulting in the librarian tackled her starting a grappling match while still trying to keep quiet.

When Souta finally came to he found the librarian pinning Ms. Kashima. Both sat up clearing their throats as Souta stood up and stretched. It was explaining time…

“So, the short and simple version is that the Zodiac Knights keep the demons away from the general public and have been doing so since the Middle Ages.” Ms. Kashima told him.

“Yukiko, your mother Kikyo, and myself were born into the Zodiac Knight lineage. Yukiko had the qualities to become the Seer of Signs, one able to appraise another’s ability to be a Zodiac Knight. I’m a Queen of Uhlans, a Zodiac Knight professing in the use of spears.” the librarian added.

“To further explain that, there are four ranks to each type. In order they are Jack, Queen, King, and Joker. Keep in mind that the rank of Joker is different from the class of Joker. A Joker of Knights means they can use any sword with great skill, but a Jack of Suits can use any weapon with a beginner’s skill level.” Ms. Kashima explained.

“So each knight has a rank?” Souta asked.

“That’s right.” Ms. Kashima nodded.

“What’s my rank?!” he asked excitedly pointing at himself.

“You’re the next rank up from your mother, who was a Joker of Jokers. You’re a Joker of Suits, a rank that means you can use all manner of weapons and skills to your advantage with great skill.” Ms. Kashima smiled.

“Wait, there’s no Jack of Suits?” Souta asked.

“Nope. Goes right to Joker of Suits from Joker of Jokers. The Joker class is the only one that does this. A Joker of Uhlans, for example, will never be surpassed by their children in terms of rank unless they are a Joker class. Of course surpassing skill is another thing entirely.” Ms. Kashima explained.

“Don’t get cocky though, it’s natural for children to be the next rank up from their parents if it’s possible.” the librarian scoffed.

“Don’t be that way, Ryuko…” Ms. Kashima pouted.

“So… these cards are the only thing that can contain the demons of this world?” Souta asked opening the tome to Death.

“Now you’re getting it.” Ms. Kashima smiled.

“You let them loose… now you have to get them back.” Ryuko told him.

“Alone…? Without help…?” Souta asked.

“Nonsense! You’ll have your Guardian Spirit!” Ms. Kashima laughed.

“Guardian Spirit? I don’t have one of those…” he told her.

“You didn’t help him summon it?” Ms. Kashima asked Ryuko.

“He needed to know the fundamentals first.” she answered.

“Fine, I guess I have to do everything then.” she sighed and then brought Souta out to the library lobby.

Using black paint she made a special zodiac circle on the floor and had Souta stand in the center. She then placed black candles on each zodiac symbol and lit them before turning the library lights off. She cleared her throat…

“Souta-kun. Place one hand over your heart and the other pointed straight ahead of you.” Ms. Kashima ordered.

“O-Okay.” he nodded doing as she instructed.

“Now, repeat after me: I, your name, who call this contract to order command that light give birth to shadow and that shadow snuff out the light. Let this cycle and flow, allow it to birth unto this earth a new being. I call thee before me NOW!” Ms. Kashima ordered.

“I, Souta Fujima, who call this contract to order command that light give birth to shadow and that shadow snuff out the light. Let this cycle and flow, allow it to birth unto this earth a new being. I call thee before me NOW!” Souta repeated, and the circle lit up with a blinding light.

From the circle twin serpent-type dragons began to come into existence. They circled by each other around Souta numerous times as one’s scales became dark blue sparkling like the stars and the other’s became golden like the sun. These dragons let out a loud roar before wrapping themselves around Souta beginning to shrink in size until they were smaller than even Souta.

“Is this to be our master…?” the golden dragon asked in a gruff male voice.

“We were born of him, so it shall be.” the blue dragon replied in a soft female voice.

“Two Guardian Spirits?” Ryuko asked.

“Oh my, this is very unexpected. At one point in his life he must have been in such grave danger that his spirit required another to aid in defending him.” Ms. Kashima gasped.

“Dragons denote a strong sense of justice, don’t they?” Ryuko asked her.

“Indeed. I knew he was perfect for this.” Ms. Kashima giggled.

All of a sudden from the circle a pillar of light shot up. From that light a sword began to rise out. It had a brilliant silver blade and a navy blue hilt. On the sides of the golden guard were small black angel wings. Inlaid on the front of the guard was a brilliantly sparkling red gemstone. Souta nervously took hold of the sword’s hilt and it felt completely natural in his hands.

“The Winged Moon Saber... that means the blue dragon was the original Guardian Spirit.” Ms. Kashima told Souta.

“Do you have names?” Souta asked his dragons.

“I am Lunafreya, the Moon Dragon.” the blue dragon replied.

“I am Solaris, the Sun Dragon.” the golden dragon replied.

“We will guide you and protect you from today forward.” both told him.

When Souta returned home his dragons shrunk to fit inside his bag with the tome so his mother wouldn’t see. His sword conveniently had the ability to turn into a tiny keychain he could attach to his bag. He had no clue how she’d react to knowing he was now what she retired from being. He kept it hidden pretty well. When it was time for bed she didn’t suspect a thing. Lunafreya and Solaris kept quiet for the entire night.


	2. Zodiac Knight Souta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souta encounters his first wild Zodiac Card, The Amazonian. He then seeks to train a bit before actually attempting to capture it.

The next day after school Souta’s mom asked him to take a lunch box to his dad at the Flameburst Gym, since he had a house show that same night and wouldn’t be back until late. Souta didn’t expect what greeted him at the door: a hand weight busting clean through the front door. Inside there was a panic as weights of all types and sizes flew about the gym. Souta’s dad, the tall and masculine Toshiro Fujima, hurried to get him out of the way and to cover.

“What’s happening?” Souta asked in a panic.

“Son, your guess is as good as ours.” his dad replied covering his son to keep any of the stray weights from hitting him.

After another minute of chaos, Lunafreya snuck her head out of Souta’s bag and bit onto the handle of the sword causing it to suddenly take its true guise. All at once the weights fell to the floor as if the spectre behind it was scared of the blade’s very presence. The sword then returned to keychain size as the guardian returned to her hiding place.

“It’s finally over…” one of his father’s friends sighed. Souta was not so sure.

That night as Souta was doing homework the dragons left his bag. They circled around under his chin to get his attention. Then they coiled around each other on the bed.

“No doubt, it was a Zodiac Card behind that event.” Solaris huffed.

“It could only be The Amazonian, a member of the Taurus category. She was an Oni that desired to test man’s mettle in physical sport. Being an Oni, if they lost she’d devour them. She was sealed inside the card as a result. No doubt she’s up to her old habits again now that she’s free of the book.” Lunafreya hissed.

“So… how do I capture her?” Souta asked.

“You need to render her unable to fight the sealing process. There are many ways to do so, but you must expose her physical form in order to seal her back in the card.” Lunafreya replied.

“He has Death on his side… The Amazonian is highly susceptible to the ability Death has granted.” Solaris spoke.

“Ability?” Souta asked.

“The power of the Zodiac Knights is the power to call upon the cards to aid them in battle. There are two methods, summoning and conjuring. To conjure is to invoke a special attack or ability granted by the card. To summon is to call the being within the card to your aid. Death is a Magic Type, so using its Conjure rather than Summon is advised.” Solaris explained.

“An opportune time to go would be when the gym is closed.” Lunafreya told him.

“Sunday is the only day that it’s closed. That’d be a good time, since dad has a spare key.” Souta told them.

“That settles it… on Sunday, we will face The Amazonian.” Solaris hissed.

There were just two days between then and Sunday. Souta decided to spend the evenings practicing with his weapon in the abandoned school’s courtyard. No one ever went there, so he wouldn’t have to worry about unexpected visitors.

“Firmly plant your feet and keep a solid grip on your blade without holding on too hard.” Solaris instructed him.

“Do not forget, you must be ready to move at a moment’s notice.” Lunafreya advised him.

“It’d be easier if we had someone he could practice with.” Solaris hissed.

“Maybe I can summon Death?” Souta asked opening the tome.

“For physical training, that is a very poor choice. You must always take the type of card you use into consideration. Physical and Magical, the two have their pros and cons in any situation. Death would be an excellent choice for amplifying spell power, if you had The Witch or The Sage to teach you spells. Likewise, Conjuring or Summoning a card like The Amazonian in a magic situation would be a very poor choice.” Lunafreya lectured.

“So you see, this is why Zodiac Knights tend to work in pairs.” Solaris told him.

“So, I should ask Ms. Kashima or that librarian to help me?” Souta asked them.

“Now you’re using your brain.” Solaris hissed gleefully.

“The problem is, a Seer has no compatibility with weapons. A Queen of Uhlans would be a bit advanced for a beginner as well, especially given that woman’s personality.” Lunafreya sighed.

“Advanced? How?” Souta asked.

“Uhlan is a class specializing in spears, and thus their abilities granted by Zodiac Cards tend to be spear-based with great piercing ability. A Queen of Uhlans would be more than proficient at employing them at key moments. You wouldn’t be able to get any training out of it as you would become a human ragdoll.” Lunafreya answered.

“So mine will be sword-based?” Souta asked.

“Not quite. As a Joker of Suits, the abilities will conform to whatever weapon you are using. It doesn’t even necessarily have to be a typical weapon either.” Solaris explained.

“I see… so basically I’m stuck with the air as my opponent until I get better with my weapon.” Souta sighed.

“Correct. Sorry...” both dragons nodded.

That night as Souta bathed he thought about the fact his mother used to be a Zodiac Knight. She was a Joker, so she was bound to have books on using weapons stored somewhere. The tricky part would be convincing her to loan the one on swords to him. She never lets him touch her bookshelf without a good enough reason, it’s always been that way. Either way, he had to ask her…somehow.

“Hey, mom…?” Souta squeaked nervously as he stepped into the kitchen where his mother was doing the dishes.

“Yes, Souta?” she replied not turning around.

“Do you have any books on… swordplay? I-I need it for a school assignment.” Souta asked.

“What assignment would that be?” she asked back.

“W-We were each asked to do reports on the proper usage of weapons and compare them to how they’re used in films.” he nervously told her.

“So you were given swords?” she asked him while drying her hands.

“That’s right.” Souta nervously laughed.

“Why so nervous? You know that I’m more than happy to help you when school’s involved. I’ve just the book for you.” she smiled while gently patting his head.

She walked to her bookshelf and began to slide her finger down the spines reading their titles in her head. She stopped on the third shelf and tapped her finger on the book she wanted a few times before gently pulling it out. “Swordplay for Aspiring Squires” was written on the cover, perfect for beginners. She quickly checked its contents, nodded, and closed it before handing it to Souta.

“Thanks mom!” Souta smiled before rushing upstairs to his room.

“What have you got there…?” Solaris hissed gazing at his arms.

“A book on swordplay, for beginners so it should be a good start.” Souta smugly chuckled.

“Ah, that should be a suitable replacement for a partner. Knowledge is power and all that.” Lunafreya gleefully hissed.

“We’ve only tomorrow to train before we face The Amazonian. Be sure to put your newly acquired knowledge to good use.” Solaris nodded.

Souta then hurried to bed. He planned to waste no time going to his training spot and using all his time to curfew save the ten minutes he’d need to get home before curfew actually hit. He wasn’t sure how the fight with The Amazonian would go… but he had to try.


	3. Souta vs The Amazonian

That Saturday as he was on the steps that would lead him up to his training spot, he heard a voice call out.

“Wait up, kid!” 

Souta could barely acknowledge the sound when a girl with long brown hair in a red and gold high school uniform was already right behind him; her school bag bearing a cat charm on it. The badge on her coat front made it clear that she was from Lady Himiko’s Academy for Girls. What could she possibly be approaching him for?

“Jeez… what’s a kid like you doing here?” she asked him.

“I like to play alone. The abandoned school has a nice open space where not a lot of people go.” Souta replied, hoping that would mark the end of the conversation.

“Don’t you know? They’re tearing that place down in a week or two. It’s beyond restoration and can’t be saved.” she told him.

“So? It’s still standing now.” he retorted.

“It’s a condemned area, you aren’t allowed!” she exclaimed.

She then took him by the hand pulling him away. Souta appreciated her concern, but he needed to train. The persistent high schooler forced him to join her for ice cream. He didn’t mind her spoiling him, but it still took away time until curfew. That was when clarity struck… the older girl knew the minute she let him go he’d make for the abandoned building. This high schooler was purposely keeping him with her until curfew!

“By the way… I’m Satsuki, Satsuki Fubuki. What’s your name?” she asked him.

“Souta Fujima.” he replied.

“Fujima-kun, hmm? Well, you shouldn’t go near dangerous places like that, okay? There might be Yakuza, or evil spirits…” she told him.

“They don’t scare me.” he bluntly told her.

“Just listen to your elder, okay?” she asked with a nervous smile.

“That makes you sound old.” he told her and she froze.

“I’m sixteen, I’m not old! Not even close!” she exclaimed.

Learning her age gave him an idea. Teens sixteen and up didn’t have to obey the curfew rule. He could get away with going to the gym at such a late hour if she goes with him. He would have to discuss it with Solaris and Lunafreya.

“I gotta use the bathroom.” he told her hurrying in and into a stall.

“Solaris, Lunafreya, I may have a solution for the curfew problem.” he told them as they slithered from his bag.

“Civilians aren’t allowed to know about any of this!” Solaris growled.

“Yet he must use her to get around the laws of this city to accomplish his duty.” Lunafreya hissed.

“Quite the predicament… the troubles of youth…” Solaris sighed.

“Do you think I should tell her?” Souta asked.

“Keep it secret… tell her it’s to help with that school assignment you’re supposed to complete… the one about haunted locations.” Lunafreya suggested.

“I’ll give it a try.” Souta nodded.

“That means he’ll have to be very careful of his mother, because the assignment he told her of was a blatant lie.” Lunafreya added as they slithered back down into his bag.

He then exited the bathroom. Satsuki was waiting where he left her, looking alert. Souta could tell she’d expected him to sneak away. He decided to use her sense of duty to his advantage…

“Fubuki-san… I have a school assignment that requires me to be out after curfew. My mom and dad are gonna be busy today and tomorrow, so do you think you could help me instead?” Souta asked her.

“Where do you have to go?” she asked.

“To Flameburst Gym, but it has to be tomorrow when it’s closed. People have been calling it haunted for years, and it’s part of my school assignment to prove that it isn’t.” Souta replied with a smile.

“Do you have permission from the owner?” she asked.

“Yeah. He’s a friend of the family.” Souta nodded.

“I also have dad’s spare key to get inside without setting off any of the alarms…” Souta chuckled to himself.

“Well… all right. I’ll pick you up at curfew then.” Satsuki smiled.

Souta let her run his time down, as much as it’d hurt him in the long run. He then let her escort him home so she’d know how to get there. All was going according to plan. His dad had a show Sunday evening so he wouldn’t be home to catch him, and his mom was usually watching the show on TV so it should be relatively easy to get past her.

“Souta, your mother tells me you’re comparing real swordplay to hollywood swordplay.” his father spoke at dinner that night.

“Yeah.” Souta nodded.

“Be sure to do a good job. Your mother’s a master of the sword, so do her some justice by showing how inaccurate hollywood is.” he smiled.

“I wouldn’t call myself a master, dear. I just have some training from fencing club back in college, that’s all.” Kikyo chuckled trying to fight a smile.

“Is mom really that good?” Souta asked.

“She’s the best there is in the entire city. ‘Cold As Steel Kikyo’ they’d call her for how ruthless she is even with beginners.” Toshiro snickered with a smile.

“Dear, stop it!” she laughed blushing as she punched his shoulder hard startling Souta.

“It’s true though. You were so graceful when you had a blade in your hands back then.” he smiled not even grimacing the slightest bit from her punch despite the mark it left.

“Jeez, he doesn’t need to know about that…” she smiled blushing more.

This always happens with his parents. His dad seems to always know what’ll fluster his mom. When she gets like this it becomes strikingly easy to get a ‘yes’ from her. It was the only reason she got him the Game Center 4, even if he did have direct cooperation from his dad on that front.

When curfew arrived at 7:00pm, he was waiting at the door so his mom hearing Satsuki knocking wouldn’t be a problem. Satsuki wasn’t sure why Souta needed his school bag, but believed his excuse of needing what was inside. Once at the doors to the gym an air of unease swept over them.

“Thanks for escorting me. I’m going in now.” Souta smiled before unlocking the door, entering, and then promptly locking himself on the other side.

“Eh? Fujima-kun, why’d you lock yourself in?” Satsuki asked.

“Sorry, I need… full concentration.” he told her before hurrying through the double doors of the lobby to the main workout area.

Everything looked normal in the darkness of the area. He turned on only the lights that he needed to draw as little attention from the outside as possible. Solaris and Lunafreya then exited his bag as he summoned his sword. They scanned the area flying near the rafters scanning around.

“Do you know where it is?” Souta quietly asked them.

“The Amazonian knows that we’re here for her, but she’s deliberately hiding. It is probable that she wants you to try and find her.” Solaris replied.

“Hmph, she doesn’t consider us a threat to her at all. Let us change that once she’s exposed...” Lunafreya hissed.

“Let me guess, she’ll get mad if you two give me any hints?” Souta asked.

“Oh unbelievably furious. Oni’s have the shortest temper of any known demon in the world and almost always resort to violence.” Solaris replied.

“Fine… only so many places here she could hide right?” Souta nervously chuckled.

He began his search by the dumbbells, and found nothing. Next came the hand weights, but still nothing. He found nothing by the bench press or pulleys either. He checked the jump ropes, exercise balls, and treadmills too. Where could it be?

“Only one place I haven’t checked yet…” Souta sighed.

“She has to be there then.” Lunafreya told him.

He then walked to the sparring ring. He got on his knees and flipped the apron. Using a flashlight he’d thought to bring he gave it a thorough search. Something moved startling him, but he managed to grab hold of it when it tried to get past him. He lifted it up into the light so he could see, and a look of shock came to his face.

Souta was now holding a doll-sized light blue-skinned girl with long black hair in a ponytail bearing red eyes, a black horn on her forehead, and tiny tusk-like teeth sticking out from her mouth. She was dressed in black slippers, black thigh-length tights, a tight crimson short-sleeved shirt, and bore thick shackle cuffs on her wrists with a larger cuff around her neck with a broken chain attached. The Amazonian... was surprisingly tiny and cute despite how they talked her up plus what she did on Thursday.

“Is this her?” Souta asked his dragons as they descended.

“You caught her, good job.” Lunafreya smiled.

“Souta found and caught you fair and square… accept defeat.” Solaris hissed as The Amazonian began to wiggle trying to get free.

“C-Come on, you wanted me to find you, why are you being stubborn?” Souta asked when she bit his finger making him shout dropping her allowing her to begin making a break for it.

“What could be worse than a cheating sore loser?!” Lunafreya called after her and The Amazonian skid to a stop at the doors to the locker room.

“That was not a wise choice…” Solaris gulped, trembling slightly.

“What’d she do…?” Souta asked him nervously.

“In short? Lunafreya has just made The Amazonian angry…” Solaris nervously replied as the oni turned around growling.

The Amazonian began stomping toward them as she started to drastically increase in size until she stood a good four feet taller  than Souta. Pale blue skin became a deep crimson. Her feet tore her slippers apart, her tights became closer to underwear, and her shirt tore up leaving just her chest covered. Her body type went from being smooth and petite to being jacked with muscle and a six-pack. Her hair came loose from its ponytail, the tresses becoming wild and untamed. Red eyes became completely white as her tusk teeth grew to be quite large. Each step she took shook the gym floor...

“This is The Amazonian’s appearance when she isn’t holding back. So find the right time to conjure Death.” Lunafreya told Souta as he leapt out of the way of a punch.

“Easy for you to say!” Souta cried as he rolled away from a stomp that made a crater in the floor.

The Amazonian continued to follow him around the gym smashing different equipment trying to hit him. One of the dumbbell weights busted the lobby doors off their hinges and busted out the front doors nearly giving Satsuki a heart attack. She rushed in as The Amazonian’s stomp sent Souta flying into the weighted balls.

“Fujima-kun?!” she exclaimed seeing Souta sit up in a dazed state with The Amazonian closing in growling with fury.

The brunette quickly grabbed one of the weights that’d been tossed around and threw it hitting The Amazonian in the back of the head. The Amazonian shook with rage, turned around, and let out a loud roar almost knocking the girl over. The Amazonian angrily began stomping toward Satsuki, who was backing up unable to avert her gaze to flee, as Souta recovered from his dazed state. 

“Now’s your chance! Conjure Death while her back is turned! It doesn’t matter what you say to do it as long as those two words are in it!” Lunafreya told him.

“ _ Death the Eternal, I Conjure Thee, Grant Unto Me the Power of the Serpentarius! _ ” Souta roared as the book opened to Death’s card while he aimed his sword at it.

Dark energy then raged from the book encompassing the blade of his sword sparking purple electricity. He then took a kendo stance as the tome floated behind him. The energy then became concentrated to appear as a longer single-edged blade on top of his sword that was now constantly sparking. This made The Amazonian freeze and slowly turn around.

“ _ Feel the Embrace of Death, Reaper’s Chill! _ ” Souta shouted as he swung his sword sending the black version at The Amazonian.

The attack struck her making her scream in agony as her body sparked continuously. She began to shrink back to normal size as strange black markings appeared on her flesh. When she was completely back to being small she struggled to remain standing. That didn’t last long as her knees eventually buckled and she fell to her knees, and then fell on her face.

“Now say the sealing incantation with me.” Lunafreya ordered coiling loosely around Souta’s neck.  

“ _ Demon of Taurus, By My Authority as Tome Keeper I Command Thee to Return to Thy Prison! Zodiac Seal! _ ” Souta and Lunafreya spoke as Souta opened the tome at The Amazonian.

Out of nowhere the pages flipped rapidly stopping on a seemingly random blank page. White beams of light then shot out from the book and wrapped around The Amazonian as a strong whirlwind began to suck her toward him. The wind got stronger as the light lifted her off the ground to make the process faster. The instant The Amazonian touched the book she let out a pained scream shedding a tear as she reverted back into card form. He then pulled a marker from his bag as he grabbed the card from the air. He popped the cap off and traced the zodiac sign on the back to finish the sealing process and then put it on the page the book had opened to making it stick causing the book to begin writing an entry telling him about The Amazonian in a modern dialect.

“The Amazonian has been returned to the book.” Solaris hissed happily.

“That’s 2 out of 52, not bad for a beginner.” Lunafreya praised Souta.

“W-W-What happened?! What’s with the dragons?! Why do you have a sword?! Why can the dragons talk?!” Satsuki asked in total confusion.

“Admittedly we wouldn’t have been able to seal The Amazonian if she hadn’t stepped in when she did.” Lunafreya sighed.

“We may have no choice but to come clean...” Solaris groaned.

“I’m not explaining here. Fubuki-chan, do you mind coming to the middle school after classes tomorrow? Everything can be explained in detail if you do that.” Souta requested of her.

“Y-You’d better…” she nervously told him.

She escorted him home and Souta had her keep quiet about what happened. If anyone asked, they really did see a ghost. Souta then wrote a BS report for his assignment citing Satsuki as his witness before taking a relaxing bath and then going to bed. Lunafreya and Solaris felt proud that he’d managed to seal The Amazonian, a Category 3 Card, in a single attempt. He had earned his rest...


	4. Souta and the Playful Menace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souta employs Satsuki's help in capturing another card, this one deciding to pull pranks on the cheerleading squad of Satsuki's school.

It was nice outside as Souta hurried out to Ms. Kashima, who was finishing up with planting some fresh flower seeds in the school flower bed. She noticed him immediately and stood up with a smile.

“I can sense another card. Don’t tell me… The Amazonian has joined your repertoire?” Ms. Kashima guessed with a wink.

“How’d you know?!” Souta asked in disbelief.

“I’m the Seer of Signs, silly, I know all 52 cards by heart. I know them each by their scent, their presence, their power, and their very appearance. Granted I’m a tad rusty when it comes to card hunting, I haven’t been in the field since I was sixteen.” she chuckled.

“I have a friend coming, can you explain the Zodiac Knights to her?” Souta asked.

“I  _ could _ also erase her memory if you’d like.” Ms. Kashima offered.

“Nah, I owe her my life for distracting The Amazonian long enough for me to seal her.” Souta explained.

“Fujima-kun!” Satsuki called hurrying to them.

“That must be her now.” Ms. Kashima giggled.

“Ms. Kashima, this is Satsuki Fubuki.” Souta introduced her.

“Well, let’s go to the library. Best to discuss where nobody else can overhear.” Ms. Kashima suggested.

Once there, Yukiko reserved a “silent box” for them so you’d need spy equipment to eavesdrop. Once the three were inside, Ms. Kashima suddenly grew very serious.

“First thing’s first. I must tell you how the Zodiac Knights were founded.” she told them.

“Oh, the book didn’t even mention that.” Souta gasped.

“Yes it did, page ten to page thirty. You probably blocked it out.” Ms. Kashima remarked.

“So, how did they form?” Satsuki asked.

“During the Middle Ages, monsters ran rampant like in all those fantasy books we have today. King Arthur wanted to quell these monsters, so he sought out a goddess who descends upon one of Europe's’ tallest mountains once every thirty years. There he asked for a means to seal the strongest of the monsters. Without these pillars of authority, monsters would lose all organization and be easier to slay. He was given a special book… The Zodiac Tome which contained a stack of 52 empty Zodiac Cards. Excalibur was then christened as the very first Zodiac Weapon.” Ms. Kashima replied.

“So even King Arthur was real…” Satsuki spoke in shock.

“That’s right. He then formed the Zodiac Knights with his most trusted knights. They traveled the land and captured many monsters. In secret they spread the influence of the Knights to other countries capturing the so-called generals of the monsters. When America was founded, the Zodiac Knights were there as well. They were even there when the American Perry Expedition traveled to Japan. They were a secret society, so those who learned of them had to keep quiet to maintain that secrecy. If the public knew monsters were still around, it’d cause a panic.” she continued.

“So all those tales of monsters and folklore… actually happened?” Souta asked.

“The majority did. There are plenty of false stories out there, trust me. The only place where there were no Zodiac Knights was North Korea.” Ms. Kashima replied.

“Why?” Satsuki asked.

“They… had it handled, to put things mildly.” Ms. Kashima nervously chuckled.

“So, Fujima-kun is part of this society…?” Satsuki asked.

“Indeed. At one time his mother was part of us too. Souta is more than likely the last Zodiac Baby, the term for a Zodiac Knight’s child, in the world though. Once all the generals were caught… there wasn’t a need for there to be so many Knights. The Zodiac Tome passed from keeper to keeper… until it wound up gathering dust in this library. The seals on the cards were weakening though… so I had the foresight to make Souta-kun one of us by releasing the demons and then resealing them.” Ms. Kashima replied.

“So what happened last night, that was one of those monsters they caught over the years?” Satsuki asked.

“That’s right, Souta has now caught two out of 52. We are his Guardian Beasts, by the way.” Lunafreya hissed leaving Souta’s bag alongside Solaris.

“Now that you know our secret… you’re to keep absolutely silent about it, tell no one.” Ms. Kashima told Satsuki.

“W-What’ll happen if it slips…?” Satsuki asked nervously.

“Are you familiar with the term ‘cement slippers’?” Ms. Kashima replied with a dead serious look making Satsuki go pale.

“She’s kidding.” Souta nudged her.

“Gotcha! You just have to be Souta-kun’s ticket to going out past curfew from now on.” Ms. Kashima laughed making Satsuki let out a heavy sigh of relief.

“Guess that’s what I get for sticking my nose into other people’s business…” Satsuki nervously chuckled.

“Well, you  **do** have three younger sisters around Souta-kun’s age, so it’s hardly surprising.” Ms. Kashima smiled.

“Yeah, it can be… hold on, how do you know that?!” Satsuki exclaimed.

“I’m the Seer of Signs. I can tell things just by getting a good look at your eyes. For example your favorite animal is the 3-toed Sloth, you’re allergic to bee stings, you excel at English and Math but are atrocious at Gym, and your grandparents paid your school tuition.” Ms. Kashima smirked.

“S-Stop being creepy!” Satsuki cried.

“Was all that true?” Souta asked her.

“You don’t need to know!” she cried.

“I wanna know if she was right though…” Souta pouted.

“Oh Souta-kun, someday you’ll be able to read a woman’s clues.” Ms. Kashima giggled.

Souta and Satsuki exchanged contact information before parting. Upon returning home Souta found his dad would be home very late due to the state the gym was left in. Apparently the camera data in and outside the gym during the confrontation with The Amazonian had been corrupted beyond repair so he was in the clear of being suspected. The news report on it sent shivers down his spine though. He really apprehended the perpetrator behind that destruction?

In another part of the city that night Ms. Kashima was asked to come investigate something near Lady Himiko’s cheerleading practice area. Apparently there had been strong gusts of wind that’d shoot up and knock the girls over during practice. She looked and looked, but there was nothing there. That led her to thinking… maybe she’d help Souta out by unlocking a handy little ability of the Zodiac Tome for him… The Chronicler. If a Zodiac Card was behind this, he could find it. When morning came she stopped him at the gate…

“How’d you know I always carry it?” Souta asked handing the book to her.

“Seer perks.” Ms. Kashima giggled turning to the index where what looked to be a modified Zodiac Card rested. It lacked any special markings save for a star above the image, which was of a female bearing glasses wearing a sort of robe outfit that hid her hair in the hood.

“What’s that?” Souta asked.

“Exactly what it’s name says, The Chronicler. This is a man-made demoness that makes it her business to organize each and every single card neatly and alphabetically in the book. She’s also a stickler about properly caring for the book and will repair any damage that comes to it. She went to sleep when the final seal was placed on the book.” Ms. Kashima explained as she began to channel energy into the card making the eyes on the image open as if it were alive.

“What else does she do?” Souta asked curiously as she handed the book back to him.

“If you can’t identify a card, simply open the book and call her name. She’ll take you to the page it belongs on and reveal its information to you. She remembers all 52 of the demons she looked after, so she’ll be a tremendous help to you.” Ms. Kashima told him.

“Thanks!” Souta smiled.

“By the way, you might want to check out the high school football field tonight. I’ve a hunch that there’s a mischief maker there, specifically around where the cheerleaders practice cheering on the team.” Ms. Kashima winked.

After classes Souta called up Satsuki. He went to voicemail the first time. The second time he managed to get through.

“Fujima-kun? What is it?” Satsuki asked.

“I need to check out the football field tonight. There might be a Zodiac Card there.” Souta replied.

“Eh? So, it isn’t some kind of ghost flipping the cheerleaders’ skirts then? That’s both scary and a relief, since it’s occasionally been happening  in the halls too. Sometimes the wind even takes our shower towels right off of us.” Satsuki sighed.

“I didn’t need to know that much.” Souta told her.

“S-Sorry! Forget that impure imagery!” Satsuki cried.

“No  _ healthy _ guy is not going to forget that mental image.” Souta bluntly told her.

“J-Just be ready to be picked up!” Satsuki cried before hanging up.

All that remained was to wait until after curfew. There was no way there’d be anyone there so late would there? He made sure to finish his homework first. Then with everything in his bag he waited at the door for Satsuki. 

“Sorry I took so long. My sisters kept begging me to give them dessert before I could leave.” Satsuki sighed.

“Let’s go.” Souta smiled.

The two of them were surprised when they reached the football field. The field lights were still on for some reason when practice was way past over. They scoped it out only to find a girl with short black hair wearing pants with her uniform shirt looking around armed with a bat.

“I know you’re here you jerk!” the girl barked.

“Uh-oh… it’s the star of the football team, Elsa Manler. She only transferred in a few months ago from America, but she’s already mastered Japanese.” Satsuki informed Souta.

“What’s up her butt?” Souta asked raising an eyebrow.

“Well, you could say she’s a real tomboy and anything that’s traditionally a guy’s thing she’ll try. The instant she heard about the school’s all-girl football team that competes with practically all-male teams she rushed for try outs in a heartbeat. Earlier today the wind… uh… played a very mean trick on her.” Satsuki replied.

“What’d it do?” Souta asked.

“Kids like you don’t need to know.” Satsuki replied while flicking his nose.

“I can sense it…” Solaris hissed from in Souta’s bag.

“A Zodiac Card is nearby…” Lunafreya hissed.

“Another of those things that Souta’s after?” Satsuki asked.

“The question is where is it…” Souta replied looking out over the field as Satsuki went pale, then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“S-S-S-S-S-S-Souta…” Satsuki stammered.

“What?” he asked turning his head immediately being kissed by a girl younger than him that’s seemingly made of a emerald green gale.

He fell over exclaiming in shock as the girl giggled loudly flying into the air leaving a trail of wind behind where her legs should be. She swung back around to fly low nearly blowing Satsuki’s skirt up making her exclaim turning red. It then began to play a game of “try to hit me” with Elsa down on the field.

“T-There it is!” Souta exclaimed.

“Souta, try the new feature the Seer gave you.” Lunafreya suggested as she burst from his bag and he nodded grabbing the Zodiac Book opening it.

“The Chronicler!” he called, and the pages began to flip rapidly.

The book stopped on a page where writing began to appear. In the spot where the card goes “The Wind Lord” appeared. The text by it began to describe it.

“The most mischievous of the Wind Faeries, thus given the title of Wind Lord. She likes to play pranks by projecting her consciousness into a body of wind, keeping her actual body sound asleep in a safe place. The body of wind she creates and inhabits can cut through solid metal if she’s in the mood, or be as gentle as a spring breeze. She will only ever return to her body if it is in danger.” Souta read.

“So find her body and you can stop her antics.” Satsuki summarized.

“The question is where could she have left it? She’d more than likely guard it from being found.” Solaris hissed.

“Is there anywhere that she’s been particularly active?” Souta asked Satsuki.

“Over by the west team locker room, where the cheerleaders are usually practicing.” Satsuki replied pointing.

“Then let’s make our way there, hopefully  **without** being noticed.” 

They carefully made their way around letting Elsa take up The Wind Lord’s attention. They had to stay on their hands and knees just to be sure. Souta had it easy being a middle schooler but Satsuki was almost doing the army crawl.

“The exit is right there… don’t make any loud sounds that will alert her to our presence.” Lunafreya warned, and the two carefully lowered themselves from the stands to the ground.

“What are we looking for exactly?” Satsuki asked as they entered.

“You have to ask? It’ll be the only body in here.” Souta replied.

They didn’t have to search very hard, the body was propped against the west wall of the room by the water cooler. She was small and petite with a pale green skin tone and long dark green hair. She had on black shoes, knee-length white socks, emerald shorts with black suspenders on, a long-sleeved black turtleneck, emerald earrings, and an emerald gemstone embedded in her forehead. It was very cute how she was peacefully slumbering with a slight smile occasionally nodding.

“Now I can seal her.” Souta chuckled confidently.

“Hold it, you can’t do it just yet. Her consciousness must rejoin her body before she can be sealed.” Solaris told him.

“You mean we have to do something to her body?” Satsuki asked.

“Nothing major, just a little tip to her consciousness that her hiding place has been discovered.” Lunafreya replied.

“She stole  **_my_ ** first kiss with that wind body of hers, now I’m going to steal the first kiss of  **_her_ ** actual body.” Souta growled gently grabbing The Wind Lord’s shoulders.

“T-That’s too cruel!” Satsuki cried.

“Souta’s just giving her a taste of her own medicine.” Solaris told her as Souta planted one on the body.

Out in the field The Wind Lord stopped dead feeling her lips. Her eyes widened and she then began to growl becoming angry. She nosedived at Elsa and burst on her snapping the bat in half as the wind knocked her down. The Wind Lord’s eyes then opened to a face full of book nearly giving her a heart attack.

“ _ Demon of Libra, By My Authority as Tome Keeper, I Command Thee to Return to Thy Prison! Zodiac Seal _ ” Souta spoke as the book spouted several wind chains that wrapped around The Wind Lord and pulled her to the book returning her to Card form.

“Now, mark it!” Lunafreya told him as he popped the cap off his marker simultaneously grabbing the card.

Souta traced the Libra symbol on the back and then placed it where it belonged in the book. The Wind Lord’s image showed her actual body asleep in a sitting position with her wind body smugly grinning putting her hands on her body’s shoulders. Souta had gotten the ultimate revenge on the little prankster.

“Now let’s get out of here without being found by Elsa.” Satsuki sighed.

The next morning in homeroom, Satsuki was approached by another girl with shoulder length red hair worn in a braid bearing a mature demeanor. She seemed happy on the surface.

“Satsuki-chan, where were you last night? You said we were going to study together at your place.” the girl addressed her.

“Maki-chan! I-I’m so sorry! Something came up last night and it completely slipped my mind to text you…” Satsuki nervously laughed.

“Is it a boy?” Maki asked.

“What? Boy? C-Come on Maki, you know I’m not interested in dating right now.” Satsuki nervously chuckled.

“So it is a boy. What’s his name? How old is he? When and how did you meet?” Maki excitedly questioned making Satsuki break into a cold sweat.

“O-Okay, okay, it’s a boy but I’m not dating him. I’m his tutor… heheh… he struggles with gym, so I’m helping him get in better shape so he has an easier time.” Satsuki told her.

“Red flag, you can’t do more than two laps around the gym before getting winded.” Maki told her.

“You can’t even give me the benefit of the doubt…?” Satsuki whined.

“I get it, you wanted to help him help you, right? You could have just asked me for help. What year is he in?” Maki asked.

“Jeez, Maki… he’s a middle schooler.” Satsuki sighed.

“When do you meet with him next? I won’t stop you from helping him, but I’d also like to help in any way I can. I like working with younger kids, they’re quick to learn concepts when you explain them simply.” Maki asked.

“Eh…?” Satsuki spoke in disbelief.

“You’ve got nothing to fear. Both of you benefit from this, especially a boy his age where fitness is important to being healthy.” Maki giggled.

“Uh-oh… she’s gone into ‘Big Sis’ Mode again…” Satsuki thought to herself.


	5. Souta, A Big Sister, and Fishing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souta goes fishing with his dad only to discover a card in the water. With the help of a new ally he conquers the big one.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and a rare one at that. Souta’s dad had the day off for once, and decided to take his boy fishing. His favorite fishing spot was on the edge of the city, the infamous Rose Reservoir. All kinds of fish could be caught in the apparently bottomless pool, seemingly from anywhere in the world. Not even scientists could figure out why, but there have been theories.

“Got your line tied to the hook properly?” his dad asked.

“I think…?” Souta replied as he checked.

“Yeah, that should be fine.” his dad told him as he gave it a once over.

“What kind of bait are we going to use?” Souta asked.

“Well, that depends on the fish you’re aiming at. You’re just starting so it may be good to try and snag some of the local fish before seeing if anything exotic is biting today.” his dad replied as he opened his tackle box.

The two began to fish, but nothing seemed to be biting at all. This was odd because usually the fish were overabundant. Even an amateur could at least catch something, that or they would lose a line. It was very unusual for this to happen. Nothing seemed to happen until about noon. Then...

-tug… tug, tug…-

“Oh… we might have something…” his dad whispered.

The line then suddenly began to go crazy as whatever was below took the bait. His dad began trying to reel it in, but with no small degree of difficulty.

“This thing must be massive, I’ve never hooked a fish that could fight like this before! Maybe it’s a shark, eh?” he laughed continuing his battle with the fish.

Souta watched in awe as his dad fought the fish, determined to reel it in. Below the surface though, Souta saw a peculiar glow. It was only for a second, but he made out a figure that only looked partially like a fish. He couldn’t pull out the book and check with his dad there though. That was when the line snapped, his father falling back on the dock.

“Whoa… guess I’ll have to start buying tougher line, eh? It’s fights like that that’ll have you coming back for more… and gives you anticipation for the day you finally bring it in.” his dad laughed.

When they returned home Souta immediately hurried to his room. He called up Satsuki the minute he closed the door.

“Fujima-kun?! N-Now isn’t a good time…” Satsuki nervously laughed.

“I need you this evening. We’ve got fishing to do.” Souta told her.

“U-Uh… oh, you want to practice distance? Y-Yeah, I can do that, I’ll be sure to bring my stopwatch. Alright see you then, bye.” Satsuki spoke in  a panicked voice before hanging up.

“Okay…? Don’t know where she got distance training from fishing, but as long as she comes…” Souta sighed.

“There are a total of twelve cards it could be…” Lunafreya hissed.

“None of Serpentarius’ cards are water based, so it must be from Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces.” Solaris clarified.

“The fun part will be fishing it out once I’ve figured out which one it is.” Souta sighed.

“All we can do is wait until Satsuki gets here for now.” Lunafreya nodded.

When evening at last came around, Satsuki texted she was at the door. Souta hurried down and Satsuki was on her hands and knees bowing. Behind her was Maki, who had a smile on her face.

“I’m sorry… she refused to let me go unless she met you…” Satsuki sobbed.

“Oh wow, he really is a middle schooler. You sure you don’t need my help?” Maki teased.

“Of course not!” Satsuki cried.

“Shush, my mom or dad will hear.” Souta told them.

“What’s wrong with them knowing Satsuki-chan is here? Isn’t she your gym tutor?” Maki asked.

“That explains a few things.” Solaris quietly hissed.

“She is, but today isn’t a tutoring day.” Souta told her.

“Oh, so you wanted her to help your distance running in secret… that’s so cute, like a secret date.” Maki giggled.

“You dug us into this hole, you get us out, we’ve got very important work to do.” Souta growled into Satsuki’s ear.

“M-Maki-chan, I forgot a few things, do you mind heading to the store to get them for us?” Satsuki asked.

“What is it? I can call home and have my maid bring it right over.” Maki replied pulling out her cellphone.

“Perhaps she may have been a better partner for handling this if she can truly get anything.” Solaris hissed.

“Can she keep a secret?” Souta asked Satsuki.

“Eh? She hasn’t told a soul about my secrets… so I guess she can?” Satsuki replied thinking on it.

“Oh my! Are you going to confess your love? I promise I won’t tell a soul.” Maki giggled.

“THAT’S NOT IT!!!” Satsuki barked angrily.

“You’re are certain about telling her?” Lunafreya whispered into Souta’s ear.

“She doesn’t look intent on leaving, so may as well wrap her in it too.” Souta whispered back.

“What is it you want to tell me?” Maki smiled, kneeling down to his level.

“This has to be kept secret from everyone. Not even your close friends or family are allowed to know. I’m a Zodiac Knight and I’m charged with catching 52 demon leaders that were released on Sakura City. I have three so far, but I’ll get there eventually.” Souta told her.

“Zodiac Knight? Satsuki, did you corrupt him with your collection of magical girl anime?” Maki asked with a disapproving look.

“He’s telling the truth!” Satsuki cried.

“Lunafreya, Solaris, come out as proof.” Souta ordered and the two dragons spiraled out of his bag.

“We should be sufficient proof.” Solaris hissed.

“I’m impressed… teaching them to talk must have been tough.” Maki smiled.

“We can talk on our own, thank you.” Lunafreya growled.

“Maki-chan, those are real dragons and he is a Zodiac Knight. I know it’s hard to believe but he really is. If you’ll come with us, we’ll prove it to you.” Satsuki told her.

“Sure. Where are we headed?” Maki smiled.

“Rose Reservoir.” Souta told her.

Upon arriving, there was an air of unease around the reservoir. Usually you could hear frogs croaking, bugs buzzing, or see lightning bugs flying about, but it was dead silent with only street lights illuminating the area.

“Odd… this is usually a popular date spot because of it’s atmosphere, but right now if feels like you could hold a funeral here.” Maki frowned as Souta pulled out the Zodiac Tome aiming it at the main pool.

“All right… Chronicler, reveal the card  to me.” Souta commanded and the book opened flipping pages rapidly.

The page revealed the card to be named “The Sea Queen”. It described her as the ruler of all mermaids with a nasty temper and hunger for human flesh and fish meat alike. At night she’s extremely active and absolutely despises humans. The book said it’s recommended to have a Magic Type earth card, but Souta didn’t have the luxury of time to wait for one to magically fall into his lap.

“Guess I’ll have to disturb her or something…” Souta sighed.

“We don’t have many options.” Solaris told him.

“I don’t think she’d take kindly to scaring her food off with a whirlpool or something.” Lunafreya suggested.

“Whirlpool…” Souta thought to himself.

“How are we supposed to make a whirlpool?” Satsuki asked.

“I know how.” Souta smiled confidently making the book float as he summoned his sword.

“ _ Come to My Aid Trickster Gale, and Summon a Wind they’ll Never Forget… Wind Lord! _ ” Souta spoke as he aimed the sword at the book making it open to The Wind Lord.

The prankster then materialized landing gently in his arms sound asleep allowing her wind body to rage about laughing playfully. She then dove to fly in a circle around the water’s surface. She began gliding faster and faster until a whirlpool formed in the water. 

“Keep it up, it’s gotta be even stronger!” Souta called to her.

Faster and faster she circled the pool. The whirlpool began to swirl even quicker throwing fish from the water. Eventually a glowing silhouette could be seen dragged up from below by the whirling pool, starting to be spun around in the current. It had to be the card!

“Wind Lord, invert the whirlpool and expose her!” Souta ordered and she dove to the center of the tunnel causing the current to rise into the air like a water tornado. The current then exploded showing the glowing silhouette in the air. Souta then spotted a massive rock and opened the book again.

“ _ Strength Unbound, I Summon Thee Forth to serve your Master…  Amazonian! _ ” Souta spoke as the Wind Lord vanished, and the Amazonian then took her place in her tiny form.

“He swapped cards mid-fight?!” Solaris gasped.

“Knock it out of the air with that rock!” Souta ordered and she did just that knocking the silhouette onto dry land.

Souta rushed to the other bank just as the light started to fade. The silhouette was then revealed to be a voluptuous yet toned pale green-skinned Mermaid with very long navy blue hair who was nearly twice the size of the average woman. Her lips were bright red and set in her mouth were three rows of sharp teeth on both the bottom and top of her mouth. Her tail itself had brilliantly sparkling red scales bearing sky blue dorsal fins. Decorating her body were sparkling pearls set in golden bracelets, a gold choker, and a golden crown atop her head.

“ _ Demon of Cancer, By My Authority as Tome Keeper _ -” Souta spoke before being smacked by her tail.

“We cannot approach her with a short range weapon… her tail will see to that.” Solaris hissed.

“Now you tell me…” Souta groaned rubbing his cheek.

“Here she comes.” Lunafreya warned.

Souta leapt away narrowly evading the mermaid’s charge. From the water numerous jet streams shot at him making him back off more. The Sea Queen wasn’t letting Souta get close as she formed a sphere of water around herself. Souta then flipped open the book looking at his surroundings. What could he use?

“There has to be something…” Satsuki said to herself as she looked around.

“That fallen lamp post over there could do for a makeshift spear or at least a staff.” Maki pointed out.

“Perfect. Souta, if we can get to it we can teach you how to perform a crucial ability to expanding a Joker’s arsenal.” Lunafreya told him.

Souta carefully dodged more jet streams making his way to the lamp post. Once there Lunafreya breathed fire in a very fine stream to burn a magic symbol into the glass of the lamp. Souta was still dodging until Solaris pulled him down but the shirt collar.

“Now, place your hand on the symbol and repeat after me…” Lunafreya instructed and he quickly did so.

“ _ Object of Earth, Broken and Useless, I Call and Beseech Thee to Take a New Form and Fight beside Me… Weapon Shift! _ ” both exclaimed.

The lamp post began sparking with electricity as it rose from the ground startling the Sea Queen. The book then opened and The Wind Lord burst out laughing as she swirled around the post spinning it rapidly. It began changing shape and color until it’d become a well-balanced halberd flying gold and emerald colors as Wind Lord returned to the book.

“Behold, The Spear of the Storm!” Souta exclaimed raising the blade into the air where lightning then struck it giving it a powerful charge making the blade glow bright blue.

“Of course, she won’t stand a chance against electricity with all that water around her…” Satsuki smirked.

“He’s so brave.” Maki smiled.

Souta charged in easily dodging the erratic streams coming at him, she was panicking. With a hard leap he thrust the spear to the orb of water resulting in a massive jolt of electricity going through it and The Sea Queen making her scream in agony. Her water sphere splashed onto the grass as she fell on her back breathing heavily sparking now and again. The book flew to Souta as he aimed the spear at her throat.

“ _ Demon of Cancer, By My Authority as Tome Keeper, I Command Thee to Return to Thy Prison! _ ” Souta spoke and the book launched a fishing net onto her, pulling her once more to it’s pages.

The instant her fin touched it she returned to card form and Souta whipped out his marker to trace the Aquarius symbol on the back. The card then took its place inside the book. The instant the book closed noises could be heard from the reservoir. The fish were leaping and playing at the water’s surface almost as if to thank him.

“It looks like she was disturbing the reservoir’s ecosystem.” Satsuki mused.

“Not hard to see why if she’s a big fish eater. I doubt mermaids are native to Japan, so they could easily have seen her as an invasive species coming to gorge on the mass variety in the reservoir.” Maki giggled.

“You aren’t freaked out by all this?” Satsuki asked.

“Not at all. I’ve seen stranger things in those anime you watch. He’s one of the good guys, but he’s so young… and you’re more a spectator than a partner, Satsuki.” Maki answered making a metaphorical weight crash on her head.

“S-So? All you did was mention a fallen lamp post.” Satsuki pouted.

“Yes, because it could be used as a weapon. Even if we have no powers ourselves we can still be helpful, like big sisters making sure their little brother is okay.” Maki smiled.

“We aren’t related.” Satsuki told her.

“Oh but my maternal instincts tell me, ‘Maki you MUST make sure this pure young boy is safe at all costs’, how could I just ignore that feeling of sisterhood?” Maki giggled.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have a brother complex?” Satsuki asked.

“Technically speaking it’s a younger sibling complex, and it’s completely platonic so there.” Maki smiled sticking her tongue out playfully.

“So you plan on sticking around?” Souta asked as he walked up.

“If it’s alright with you.” Maki answered.

“I don’t see a problem with it, she was invaluable this time.” Solaris spoke.

“Souta’s weapon choice has grown, even if just by one.” Lunafreya hissed joyously.

“This one can change into a keychain too right?” Souta asked them.

“Of course, it is a weapon born of your will.” both dragons answered.

Watching in the shadows were two people hiding themselves in cloaks, one tall enough to be an adult and the other only just taller than Souta. The smaller one angrily griped the handle of a katana prompting the taller one to motion them to stop. The two then silently left the area.


	6. Souta and His Fear of Heights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another card really turns up the heat as Souta faces his worst fear... heights.

It was that time of the month in Souta’s swim class again… practicing the high dive. He always did very poorly during high dive practice, because he was simply terrified of heights. Souta would freeze up and start shaking as the fear gripped him. Once, he had even passed out, resulting in an accidental nose dive into the pool that had resulted in the teacher diving into the pool to rescue him. For as long as he could remember he’s always been that way.

Lately the sunlight had been intense, causing a drought throughout the city and its surrounding areas. Certain things had caught fire too, making a record high of house fires in the past three years alone. Some areas gave the sense of taking the brunt of the heat more so than others. It had gotten to a point where Ice cream cars were unable to sell anything due to the heat almost instantaneously melting their products. When Souta got back to his room Solaris and Lunafreya slithered out of his bag.

“This heat is not natural.” Lunafreya told him.

“Yeah, it should be cooling down this time of the year not heating up.” Souta nodded.

“I’d venture to guess it is one of the stronger fire cards. The Infernian is a very strong candidate as she radiates intense heat, being a Fire Faerie.” Solaris hissed.

“There is also her great hatred of humankind, so she would definitely have a motive for making conditions unbearable for them.” Lunafreya nodded.

“Where would we be most likely to find her?” Souta asked.

“The skies most likely. Probably soaking up the sun’s rays to intensify her body heat, extending the range of her aura.” Solaris told him.

“How high…?” Souta nervously asked.

“About the same height most human aircraft ascend to.” Lunafreya answered.

“How are we supposed to get up there? I mean, come on, it’s not like one of you could carry me up there.” Souta laughed.

“We can carry you.” both told him cutting his laughter short.

“You’re so tiny though…” Souta pointed out.

“We need only retake our true sizes. We are actually quite a bit larger, which is why we shrunk down to begin with. Otherwise, we would hardly have been able to fit anywhere compact as your bag or your house.” both explained.

“So… tonight you wanna… go try to catch The Infernian?” Souta asked nervously.

“It would be an ideal time for it as no one would be able to easily see us if you rode upon my back.” Lunafreya nodded.

“I’ll call up Fubuki-chan so she can take us to the park.” Souta sighed.

That evening at the park Souta was very nervous. Even the wow factor of Lunafreya growing to be the height of a semi-truck and the length of at least four of them didn’t ease his anxiety. He was going to be extraordinarily high up in the air.

“Fujima-kun, are you okay? You look a bit pale.” Satsuki asked him.

“I-I’m fine.” he answered with a weak smile.

“Then let us go and end this heatwave.” Lunafreya told him.

Souta could feel his heart hammering slightly in his chest as he mounted her back and she extended her wings to take off, flinging herself skyward with her legs. Soon after taking off Lunafreya steadied out to a cruising speed. This allowed him to pull out the book.

“Chronicler, show me the way to that which we seek.” he spoke and a bright beam shot out from the book to the west.

“Even the Infernian cannot escape the eyes of the Chronicler.” Lunafreya chuckled turning to fly that direction.

Soon a light was visible in the sky ahead of them and the temperature began to rise as a fireball flew by them. That was The Infernian alright, from the horns to her nearly charred attire. The greater fire faerie had clearly noticed them and was already preparing to launch a second massive fireball from her fist at them, forcing Lunafreya to descend to evade it.

“I do hope you are prepared to handle a moving target!” Lunafreya warned Souta whilst avoiding another fireball.

“Here goes…” Souta groaned summoning his sword.

Lunafreya kept dodging to the best of her ability while maintaining a close distance so she was in range of Souta’s cards. He opened the book and looked to see if the Chronicler would recommend a helpful card. His eyes immediately looked past the book and at the ground. Souta’s throat constricted, his body trembled, and he was lost to oblivion. Within seconds the boy was sliding from Lunafreya’s back and falling to the ground.

“Souta!” Lunafreya exclaimed nose diving after him. 

The dragoness managed to catch him just in time to start weaving in an erratic pattern to avoid the trees of the woods they had entered though she was forced to knock some trees over with her wings to finally stop and check on Souta’s condition. As the boy regained consciousness he held his head, fatigue laced through his entire body making his body seem like lead.

“Souta, what happened? You passed out so suddenly.” Solaris asked slithering from his place in the bag.

“I’m… scared of heights…” Souta answered.

“Why did you not say something?” Lunafreya asked him.

“I knew it was my duty to do this… so I forced myself to keep going even while knowing I was afraid…” he told her.

“Being afraid of heights is nothing to be ashamed of, many people have that same fear. You really should have told us, we would have come up with another plan.” Lunafreya chided gently.

“We won’t force you to go to The Infernian again. Maybe one of the cards will have the ability to make The Infernian come to us?” Solaris suggested while coiling around Souta’s neck comfortingly.

“What could reach that high to bring her to our level though?” Lunafreya pondered.

“What happens if you use two cards at the same time?” Souta asked.

“You would have to expend twice the energy of using just one, but it is possible. What did you have in mind?” Lunafreya answered.

“Spear of the Storm!” Souta exclaimed calling the weapon to him as the book flipped pages rapidly.

“A weapon specializing in wind magic? Wind feeds fire.” Solaris questioned.

“ _ Demon of Libra, Demon of Cancer, I Summon Thee to Unleash a Storm Most Foul! Bring Thy Enemy to the Ground as Sky Becomes Their Foe! Lightning Tempest! _ ” Souta cast and both The Sea Queen and Wind Lord appeared firing a blue and green beam respectively into the heavens.

Cumulonimbus clouds quickly gathered in the sky with clapping thunder and crashing lightning. Heavy rains began to fall making The Infernian’s skin sizzle. The enraged fire faerie launched fireball after fireball at the clouds, but the deluge quickly drowned them to naught but steam. She went to unleash a two-handed fireball when lightning hit her, sending her plummeting to the ground. Lightning tore into her repeatedly during her forced descent, leaving The Infernian severely injured. When she landed her aura ignited the nearby trees even as the rain quickly put them out.

“Now she is on ground level.” Lunafreya hissed.

“Her aura’s severely weakened by the storm. You might just stand a chance in a head on confrontation now.” Solaris added.

“Sea Queen, she needs a bath.” Souta told the demoness prompting a sinister grin as she unleashed a blast of water at The Infernian, knocking her into a tree as steam obscured vision of her.

The Infernian burst from the steam roaring in anger, locking hands with The Sea Queen. Both unleashed an aura, their powers clashing violently with one another. Souta readied the book readying his spear for a thrust attack as the two continued to struggle.

“ _ Death the Eternal, I Conjure Thee, Grant Unto Me the Power of the Serpentarius! _ ” Souta cast, a shadowy aura forming a tip over his spear blade.

The Infernian knocked her opponent through a tree and then took notice of Souta. In a panic she formed a massive fireball and launched it at the casting boy. Souta didn’t so much as flinch when it barreled towards him.

“ _ Hark and enter an Eternal Slumber, Midnight Thrust! _ ” Souta roared thrusting his spear, sending the shady tip clean through the fireball dispersing it as the attack kept going, slamming into The Infernian’s stomach leaving a pentagram as she coughed up saliva.

“He’s going to name every attack isn’t he…?” Solaris groaned.

“They are his attacks, he can name them if he wants.” Lunafreya scolded him.

“ _ Demon of Leo, By my Authority as Tome Keeper, I Command Thee to return to Thy Prison! _ ” Souta ordered as the book touched The Infernian, turning her back into a card.

He grabbed the card while simultaneously whipping out his marker to trace the zodiac symbol on the back. The book then opened to her page so Souta could place her there. The temperature in the surrounding area drastically dropped until it felt cool.

“Let’s go assure Fubuki-san we safely got the card.” Souta suggested.

“Agreed. She’ll be worried sick.” Solaris nodded.

Souta mounted Lunafreya and again she took off, but stuck to a lower altitude for his sake. Eventually they reached the park where Satsuki was now joined by Maki, who looked happy.

“Looks like another job well done.” Maki greeted him.

“Thanks.” Souta smiled as she hugged him running her hand through his hair.

“Maki, don’t spoil him like that, he’s not your brother.” Satsuki scolded her friend.

“What’s wrong with rewarding him for doing a good job?” Maki asked.

“The way you’re doing it is creepy.” 

“I don’t think so.”

“Maybe not from your perspective, but think of how Souta feels being treated like a little kid. He’s in middle school you know.” 

“So? He’s still younger than us, so we have to encourage him so his self esteem is at its peak when he applies for high school.”

“He’s not that much younger.”

“You’re pretty defensive here… did you wanna spoil him too?”

“NO!!!”

“They’re definitely friends if they argue like this.” Solaris hissed.

“Sorry if you find her behavior creepy, Fujima-kun… Maki has always been like this. She’s always wanted a little brother or sister.” Satsuki sighed rubbing her temples in frustration.

“My parents just haven’t had the time out of work to have another child. It’s a busy time of year.” Maki smiled.

“She didn’t deny it…” Souta and his dragons thought in unison.

“Isn’t it always a busy time of year for your parents’ jobs?” Satsuki asked and Maki only smiled.

The next day at school because it had cooled down brought the time for Souta’s nightmare… and he was first in line to face “true death”. He nervously climbed the ladder with shaking limbs, making sure not to look down. Once he reached the top though, something different happened. He didn’t lose composure… he didn’t whimper… his knees didn’t buckle… his mind went back to when he was on Lunafreya’s back. They were much higher than this… he could actually make out the area below without straining his eyes or feeling like he could die if he fell. This was doable, more than doable, this was the perfect height for him to handle. With a deep breath Souta leapt from the diving board landing perfectly into the water, swimming to the other end of the pool where the teacher was waiting with an approving smile on her face.

“You did it, Fujima-kun.” the teacher told him.

“It wasn’t so bad… when I compared it to a recent experience with heights.” Souta smiled.


End file.
